4 of 17

Write now Article Tools

Dogs and cats can get along if you let them. Always eager to prove people wrong, I owned dogs and cats at the same time several times.

I'd owned dogs most of my life because my son was allergic to cats, but when he moved out, I brought home a stray kitten and introduced her to her first dogs. Both my shepherd-mixes, Samson and Pepper, were very interested in the kitten, and she was terrified of them.

I held her with my hands cupped around her both to prevent her from freaking out totally and to insure the dogs wouldn't hurt her. I found years later from watching Cesar Milan that this behavior of holding an object tells the dogs the object is "yours" and not "theirs" and they're not to mess with it.

After a few times of doing this, the kitten realized the dogs would not hurt her, and though she hissed a few times, she wasn't as scared of them. I let her wander around the house with the dogs loose. She'd run when they came up, but since I'd already "claimed" her, they made no moves to do anything but sniff and check her out.
I moved furniture so the kitten would know she could hide if she felt too threatened by the dogs.

It wasn't long before Sprocket, as I named her, was playing with the dogs. She'd even fall asleep on Samson's back. I watched them both sleeping, her cuddled on his flank, him breathing deeply in his sleep, and with each breath he took, she'd slip a little farther down his side. It took about five breaths before she slid all the way down and woke them both up with a start.

I later brought home another cat named Cougar, and though the other cat was older, he soon adapted to life with 2 dogs also. When the older dog, Pepper, died Sprocket went looking for her everywhere.

Then I brought home my Heidi-dog. My husky-mix. My problem child.

It was like unleashing a tornado in the house. At that first meeting, Sprocket ended up hanging from the top of the screen door. I didn't see Cougar for several days afterward. Sammy couldn't figure out why this new dog looked so much like Pepper but didn't act like her.

With my policy of "let them work it out", they all got accustomed to living together. I just made sure the cats could hide behind furniture if they wanted to get away from the dogs.

The only rough spot was Heidi's habit of snarling viciously and grabbing Cougar by the back so he'd scream bloody murder. I nearly had a heart attack the first time she did it. I picked him up immediately and checked him all over but there was not a scratch or injury, and Heidi just sat there wagging her tail as if to say "PSYC!" A few minutes later, she and Cougar would be lying by the couch together.

We only have a dog now because my husband is allergic to cats, but I'll use the same methods to introduce a new dog to the house when we're ready to become a 2-dog family: Claim it as "yours", and then let them work it out.

Learn more about this author, Liane Laskoske.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Promoting harmony between dogs and cats?
We want to hear your view. Write now!